Read More: Lance Berkman (RF – STL), Chris Carpenter (P – STL), Mat Latos (P – SDP), San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals

Chris Carpenter pitched one of his best games of the season Wednesday night, but the St. Louis Cardinals’ veteran ace wasn’t quite as good as San Diego Padres sophomore Mat Latos, who improved to 2-6 after throwing eight innings and allowing just one run. Latos and Carpenter, 1-5, have each begun the season as hard-luck losers, but something had to give—and Wednesday it was the Cardinals’ offense, held scoreless for eight innings after Lance Berkman drove in Jon Jay to put them up 1-0 after the top of the first inning. 

Chase Headley doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to put the Padres up for good; Brad Hawpe’s second-inning home run off Carpenter, his fourth of the year, had tied the game earlier. Jay and Berkman had two hits for the Cardinals, while Daniel Descalso doubled and Tyler Greene picked up the Cardinals’ other hit. Carpenter struck out six without allowing a walk, and went the distance for the Cardinals in the loss. 

Read More: Lance Berkman (RF – STL), Matt Holliday (LF – STL), Colby Rasmus (CF – STL), Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals

Colby Rasmus pinch-hit for the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday night after missing three consecutive games with abdominal pain, and in his post-game remarks manager Tony La Russa suggested Rasmus would have been available, in a closer game, for work as a defensive replacement. He’s no guarantee to play Thursday’s day-game against the Astros at home, but La Russa thinks he’s likely to be back in the lineup by the team’s interleague debut against the Kansas City Royals over the weekend; most of the more dangerous explanations for Rasmus’s discomfort appear to have been ruled out by now. 

Rasmus, who worked a 3-2 count before grounding out in his ninth-inning appearance Wednesday, is hitting .305/.393/.461 for the Cardinals, with three triples to go with three home runs and 15 RBI. The Cardinals could use his bat and his glove, with both Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman hurting after Wednesday’s game against the Astros, but Jon Jay’s great work in Rasmus’s stead has stabilized an outfield that has threatened, of late, to be in flux. 

Read More: Jake Westbrook (P – STL), Matt Garza (P – CHC), Ryan Theriot (SS – STL), Ryan Franklin (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs

The St. Louis Cardinals dropped the second game of their Wrigley Field series with the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, with starter Jake Westbrook unable to get past a surprise rain delay on the way to an 11-4 loss. Westbrook allowed five runs in two innings for the loss; Matt Garza picked up his second win of the season, striking out seven in five innings and allowing one run after a string of hard-luck losses. Erstwhile closer Ryan Franklin struggled in a rare appearance, putting his future with the club into doubt. 

Ryan Theriot, Colby Rasmus, and Nick Punto picked up two hits for the Cardinals in the loss. Albert Pujols went 1-3 with two RBI before being removed. Theriot won’t play in Thursday’s game after leaving Wednesday’s with “pain in his side”, presumably not caused by any talk-radio comments he’s made in the last several months. 

Joe Pettini continues to manage the Cardinals in Tony La Russa’s absence, following his internet-diagnosis of shingles.